On this course you will journey through New England’s largest undeveloped region, the Maine Northwoods. It is an expedition. You will depart the base camp on the first day of the course and not return until the end. You will carry everything you need for as much as three weeks with you and you will paddle, hike, or climb nearly every day. Wilderness travel is demanding. It can literally take every waking moment to get from one campsite to the next. Arriving physically fit will enhance your experience and ability to do well on the course and ultimately allow you to take full advantage of the expedition. You do not need to have previous canoeing or camping experience, but students who select this course are expected to be ready to learn expedition skills, assume responsibility for themselves and each other, and have a love of being in and around water. We will teach you everything you need to know to travel comfortably, including how to pack a backpack, maneuver a canoe, set up a wilderness campsite, and navigate using a map and compass. When your course begins you will get a basic introduction to backcountry travel and Leave No Trace® techniques, and then you will quickly journey into the wilderness where the real magic takes place.

Course Area

Your wilderness classroom will be the Penobscot, Kennebec or Allagash watershed(s) in Maine’s Northwoods, the land that Thoreau immortalized in The Maine Woods. This five million acre forest has a vast history. The indigenous Abenaki people lived along the banks of these rivers during the winter, planted crops in the spring, and then traveled downstream by canoe to coastal summer sites. After the discovery of massive white pines in the 17^th century, these waterways were used by Europeans to transport logs from the forests to the mills downstream. These days, some of the forest is protected for recreation and the lakes and rivers are used primarily by canoeists, fisherman, and other recreationalists.  

Moosehead Lake, the largest lake in Maine at nearly 40 miles long, provides a means of traveling between the Penobscot and Kennebec river systems and you will most likely spend some time on this lake. Rock climbing instruction will take place at many of the granite cliffs you will encounter along your expedition route. Hiking up to the rock climbing sites will give you a chance to stretch your legs and gaze at the vast undeveloped forest and waterways stretching north and west to the Canadian border. On a clear day, from many of the rock climbing sites—and sometimes from the lakes—you will be able to see Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, as well as Mount Kineo, Big Moose Mountain, Big Spencer Mountain, and Boundary Bald Mountain.

Your journey through these watersheds will likely involve some portaging (carrying the canoe on your shoulders), as it is the traditional means of moving from one body of water to another. Some of the portages you may encounter have been in use for centuries, such as the Northwest and Northeast Carry.